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Meseret Defar of Ethiopia sets world record in 5,000m

Meseret Defar of Ethiopia set the world record in the women's 5,000m in 14 minutes, 24.53 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix Saturday.

Defar easily outpaced the field to break the mark of 14:24.68, set by Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse in 2004. Workitu Ayanu of Ethiopia was second to Defar in 14:50.51.

The 22-year-old Defar ran the final 400m in a blazing 61 seconds, and was greeted to loud cheers when she crossed the line. ``New York, New York'' started blaring on the public address system.

``I was very confident when I saw the time with a lap to go that I could break the record,'' Defar said.

Defar won Olympic gold in Athens in the 5,000m and finished second at the world championships last year. She tried to break the indoor record in the 3,000m at the Boston Indoor meet in January but fell just short for the second straight year.

Defar ended up winning in 8:30.94, just missing out on breaking Ethiopian Berhane Adere's 4-year-old world record of 8:29.15.

``I tried to break the 3K indoor record before and I tried on the roads for this so I'm happy now I've got this,'' she said. ``After the 3,000m, I was dreaming and I knew I could beat the record.''

Defar got a boost last week from heralded fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie when they saw each other at a meet in Hengelo, Netherlands. Gebrselassie, who won Olympic gold in the 10,000m in 1996 and 2000, encouraged Defar to go for the record.

``I was in Hengelo with Haile, he said to me, `You can do it. You can beat the record in New York.' After that, I knew I could,'' she said.

Defar said she will run in five Golden League meets in Europe.

Marion Jone

Marion Jones easily won the 100m at the Reebok Grand Prix on Saturday, crossing the line in 11.06 seconds to raucous cheers.

The former Olympian beat a strong field that included world champion Lauryn Williams, top Jamaican Veronica Campbell and 2003 world champ Torri Edwards. When Jones took her place in the blocks on a cool and breezy night, the crowd cheered her.

After a false start sent the runners back to the blocks, Jones took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She got off to a good start, but was way ahead by 60 meters, winning her third meet of the year since she started her comeback following an 11-month absence during which she battled injuries and doping allegations.

``Overall I felt pretty good,'' Jones said. ``The conditions weren't great, but any time you get a victory it's another step.''

After her race, she waived and smiled to the crowd as she did a post-race interview. Campbell was second in 11.11. Williams was a disappointing fifth, finishing in 11.44.

Jones said she will run a 200-meter race in Europe before running in the 100m and 200m at the US nationals in Indianapolis later this month.

In the men's 100m, co-world record holder Justin Gatlin also won easily, clocking 9.87 in the final sprint event of the evening. American Tyson Gay was second in 10.04. But all eyes were on the 30-year-old Jones in her first race in the United States in more than a year. Her time matched her fast mark of the year, which she first ran in her opening meet in Mexico last month.

Jones has had a tumultuous journey over the last few years. After winning five medals, including three gold, in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Jones took 2003 off to have her son. Things haven't quite been the same since then.

She was shut out of medals at the 2004 Athens Games, failing to make the team in the 100m. She attempted to qualify for the US world championships team in 2005, but walked off the track before the 100 preliminaries with a hip injury.

All the while, doping allegations have dogged her. Jones never has tested positive for drugs and repeatedly has denied using banned substances, but remains under investigation as part of the BALCO doping scandal. BALCO founder Victor Conte accused Jones of using banned substances.
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